US may extend laptop ban to all international flights

The US is considering extending its laptop ban to all international flights to and from the country. Speaking on Fox News Sunday this weekend, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said there was a "sophisticated" terrorist threat which could see and expansion of the ban on devices larger than smartphones.

Back in March, citing a threat from terrorists "smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items," the Trump administration introduced an electronics ban on flights from a number of countries. If the ban was to be expanded, there would likely be a backlash from the increased number of people no longer able to take their laptops on flights as carry-on items.

Speaking to anchor Chris Wallace, Kelly indicated that the US intends to "raise the bar" for aviation security, and said "there's new technologies down the road, not too far down the road that we will rely on." He said that while no decision had yet been made about whether to extend the laptop ban, there is "a real sophisticated threat" which meant the TSA was having to increase checks.

Asked whether the existing ban might be extended, Kelly said:

I might. There's a real threat. There's numerous threats against aviation. That's really the thing they're really obsessed with, the terrorists, the idea of knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly if it is a US carrier, particularly if it is full of mostly US folks.

If the US does impose a wider ban on electronics in flights, it is likely that other countries -- such as the UK -- would follow suit, as was the case with the initial ban.

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